Rahul Gandhi’s comments on 1984 riots trigger protests at Congress office

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January 30, 2014

About 300 protesters carrying black flags and shouting slogans waved black flags and climbed on top of barricades outside the Congress party office in Delhi, expressing their anger against Rahul Gandhi for his comments about the 1984 riots in Delhi.

This week, Mr. Gandhi, who is the Congress Vice-President, said that “some Congressmen were probably involved” in the killing of hundreds of Sikhs after the assassination of his grandmother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

However, Mr. Gandhi insisted that the Congress government at the time did its best to check the violence.

“The CBI should ask Mr. Gandhi which people he was talking about. He should be made to take names,” said one protester.

Almost three decades later, senior Congress leaders like Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler are being tried for allegedly inciting mobs to attack Sikhs in retalitation for the killing of Mrs Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The delay in the legal proceedings has been criticized by Sikh leaders, the families of those who died in the violence, and the opposition.

Arvind Kejriwal, who took over as Chief Minister of Delhi a month ago, has asked that a Special Investigating Team be appointed to conduct an independent inquiry to determine who was responsible for the communal violence.

Mr. Kejriwal met yesterday with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to ask for the investigation. The Lieutenant Governor, who represents the union government in Delhi, said that he is awaiting a formal proposal from Mr. Kejriwal that outlines the terms of the inquiry.

TMC to take on Congress, BJP and CPI(M) in Lok Sabha elections: Mamata Banerjee

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Afternoon Voice

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January 30, 2014

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday sounded the poll bugle declaring that it will take on the Congress, BJP and CPI(M) in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee made the announcement at rally at Brigade Parade Ground here.

After back-to-back victories in the panchayat and municipal polls some months ago, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched the campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls today.

The West Bengal Chief Minister also said that the Trinamool Congress was the only alternative for the country.

“Our fight is against BJP, our fight is against Congress, our fight is against CPI(M). Our fight is also against corruption,” she said at the rally which saw lakhs of people converging at the sprawling Brigade Parade Ground.

“We do not want a government which encourages riots. Bengal will show the way to India in the coming days,” she said.

She called for defeating her arch rival CPI(M) and also the Congress hands down.

Claiming the Trinamool Congress was the only alternative, she said, “BJP is not an alternative to the Congress. Congress is not an alternative to BJP. We also don’t want a monarchy.

She said, “A federal front should be formed. We want a change (in government) in Delhi. We are giving a call from Bengal for change.”

Claiming that the Trinamool Congress would play a decisive role in the formation of a government after the Lok Sabha election, Banerjee said, “We have to win as many as seats from Bengal to ensure that Bengal plays a key role.”

Referring to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s clarion war cry ‘dilli chalo’, the West Bengal Chief Minister repeatedly gave ‘Delhi chalo’ calls.

Riding high on the back-to-back massive victories of her party in the recent panchayat and municipal elections, she said, “There is no room for complacency.

“There is no room to be overconfident and underestimate (opponents). We have to win all the Lok Sabha seats (Bengal has 42 seats). I do not want a chair. I want to serve the people,” she said.

“We want removal of corruption and to save the country. We want an united India. We want a government which works for harmony and integrity,” Banerjee, said amids cheers.

Attacking the Centre for price rise and corruption, she said, “Our fight is against corruption. Our fight is against price rise. Our fight is for unity, integrity and communal harmony. We want to establish a government for the welfare of the people.”

Pointing to the vast sea of humanity, she said, “Today’s rally is not only historic, it proves that Bengal will once again lead the country. What Bengal things, India thinks tomorrow.”

“I am told by Mukul Roy (the party general secretary) that 20 to 25 lakh people have come here to attend the rally. We will hold another rally at the Brigade after winning the coming Lok Sabha elections.”

The metropolis came to a standstill with traffic thrown out of gear as lakhs of people gathered at the Brigade Parade Ground.

Banerjee said, “TMC would contest various seats across the country and she would personally campaign”.

No thanks, says NK Singh to Nitish Kumar for Lok Sabha election

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Afternoon Voice

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January 30, 2014

Retired bureaucrat NK Singh, who was denied a renomination to the Rajya Sabha by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, spurned the Janata Dal United’s offer to field him from the Banka parliamentary constituency in the general elections due by May.

Mr. Singh, 73, joins Shivanand Tiwari and Sabir Ali, the other two JDU leaders who were denied tickets to the House of Elders, in turning down Mr. Kumar’s suggestion that they contest Lok Sabha seats instead.

Mr. Singh was given the option of contesting from Banka in the state, while Mr. Tiwari, 71, was to be the JDU candidate from Buxar and Mr. Ali, 58, was asked to enter the electoral fray from Sheohar.

Mr. Singh wrote a terse one-page letter to the Bihar chief minister, expressing his surprise at the Banka offer.

“This offer was indeed surprising, albeit a cavalier one, since I had undertaken no preparatory work in the constituency….. Foisting any individual without prior consultation with the constituents may be grossly unfair to them,” he wrote.

Mr. Tiwari had, in a letter to state JD(U) president Vashishta Narayan Singh, hit out at the chief minister, alleging that he was denied a ticket because Nitish Kumar “does not like me.”

Mr. Ali, a Mumbai-based businessman, too is said to have favoured playing safe.

The Janata Dal (United) had won of 20 of Bihar’s 40 Lok Sabha seats in 2009. But this time Nitish Kumar has a tough battle on his hands in the general elections. He has to contend with the likely renewal of a partnership between the Congress and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the former partner BJP coming back strongly after the JD(U) broke its 17-year alliance with it last year.

Won’t break away from UPA, no alliance with NDA: J&K CM Omar Abdullah

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Afternoon Voice

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January 30, 2014

Days after hinting at a possible split from the UPA, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has clarified that his party, the National Conference, will not walk out from the alliance.

He instead blamed a few Congress leaders who reportedly want to go it alone in the elections. “These voices are coming from Congress state leaders. They want to go alone,” he said.

Omar also dismissed reports that his party was softening its stand towards the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

He categorically denied reports that the NC might join the NDA. “Modi becoming PM is not something we are happy with, but we will accept the will of the people. There can be no relationship with the NDA,” he said.

His remarks came after indications that the NC-Congress alliance was on a brink. Omar had on Tuesday said his party was seriously reviewing his alliance with the Congress ahead of elections in the state later in 2014. Union Minister and Omar’s father Farooq Abdullah backed the remark.

Farooq said, “No decision has been taken yet on whether to fight the Lok Sabha elections alone or not. Whether Narendra Modi wins or loses, the decision will be taken by the people.”

Modi’s clean cheat splits NCP and Congress

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Afternoon Voice

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January 30, 2014

It is rightly said that there is no permanent friends or foes in politics. The NCP which is an ally of the ruling Democratic Front led by Congress has softened its stand on BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi after he was given a clean chit in the 2002 Godhra riots issue. NCP leader Praful Patel said that the matter surrounding Modi in the 2002 riots must be put to rest after a clean chit by SIT sparked political speculation between Congress and NCP. Thus the Modi issue has become a bone of contention between both the parties. It also puts a question mark over the secular stand followed by NCP. Both the parties have been indulging in a game of one upmanship as NCP has been demanding more seats for contesting the Lok Sabha election. The tussle between both the parties will only intensify on account of the upcoming election.

The Congress party is upset with the pro-Modi statement issued by Praful Patel which has created a rift between both parties. Hussain Dalwai, ex-Maharashtra minister said, “I am upset with the comments issued by NCP leader Praful Patel. Either Patel must be unaware about History or else he might have become insensitive despite being aware about the past incidents. How he can forget that many women were killed in Gujarat riots. The NCP is sending wrong signals by remaining in alliance with the Congress.”
BJP leader Gopinath Munde was pleased with the pro-Modi statements made by Patel. He said, “BJP welcomes the statement issued by the NCP. Finally they realized that Narendra Modi was innocent and didn’t have any role in the Gujarat riots. By now even Congress too need to realize that Modi was not involved in the riots.”

When asked whether this statement indicates that the NCP is getting close to BJP and is interested in joining NDA Munde said, “No it’s not true. We are not going to join hands with NCP. This time our party will come to power hence there is no need to have an alliance with the NCP.”

A NCP leader spoke to AV on the condition of anonymity said, “If the judicial system has given a verdict then we have to respect it. We need to not question it further. Politics is not just about the judicial system. Our senior leader Praful Patel has not done anything wrong and the Congress need not blow this issue out of proportion. We all need to respect the verdict of Supreme Court and even Congress needs to do the same.”

Raj Thackeray, an anarchist must be jailed

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Vaidehi Taman

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January 29, 2014

After Raj Thackeray called upon his followers not to pay road toll and attack those who demand it, party workers vandalized booths across the Maharashtra State. The assault began, soon after Thackeray’s speech at a function in Navi Mumbai, and continued through next days. Definitely, Toll tax is serious loot and it is big concern for Mumbai as well as people of Maharashtra but attacking public and private properties is not justified. Many MNS workers were arrested on charges of rioting and burning. They attacked booths in and around Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Thane and Nagpur. Security was also increased outside booths, but sustaining to mobs attack is not easy. Raj Thackeray said the State could not afford to waive toll and subsidise companies that built the roads, so they are considering keeping single roads toll-free under a new policy. Raj’s announcement to his people, don’t pay a single rupee as toll and those asking it should be smashed. If traffic jams occur, so be it.

Until they explain why we are paying toll, we should not pay it. Such instruction definitely going to cause violence and Sena are famous for rioting, vandalizing and attacking. The police should have arrested MNS party leader for inciting violence. The leader should be asked to pay for the damages caused to public property. State has no guts to keep him in jail, as they know the deprecations. Thackeray was booked in two cases. Police can only book him. But they have no courage to arrest him and put him behind bars. If that happens, then Mumbai will witness riots worse than Gujarat or anywhere else. These arrests are just another drama by the Mumbai police.

If someone is collecting the toll, they also have the duty to keep the road in primordial condition. If someone has organized a violence resulting in property damage, the provocateur has to face the law for malice. The company who has the ownership and collecting the toll has the right to sue the people who organized the violence. Extrajudicial and vigilante actions are unacceptable in any civilized society. Try peaceful protest next time if there is a contentious issue to which one has the right in a democratic country. We are paying toll for years in Mumbai’s entry points, exit point and expressway and still they claim money is not collected to meet the project cost. Here I should not forget to mention that Mumbai’s road conditions are not appreciable. Of course to an extent the approach adopted may not be the most appropriate but some awakening in toll collection is required. It is recommended to put credit debit card swipe machines and automatic gates at each toll. This will drastically reduce the time spent at each toll and the manpower required at each booth. Most importantly, the collection bank account should be made transparent to public such that everyone can see the toll they have paid and total collected during the day. Here I don’t think to mention that in today’s world every car or truck owner has a credit or debit card.

Maharashtra people are paying more tax than any other states in India, whereas in returns they are getting worse roads than UP. In principle, all toll collections should be stopped. The government should collect a one-time toll at the time of purchase of any vehicle by any individual. This will help government get lump sum amounts in advance which also results zero toll nakas. There will be no corruption and unaccountable collection. Issues raised by Raj are quite appropriate but the way it is handled is not fair. Leaders like him are dangerous for the harmony of the country. It’s really amazing to see one more incident of violence by these unruly members. Police in Maharashtra booked Raj Thackeray for allegedly instigating his party workers to ransack toll plazas at Khed-Shivapur on the Pune-Bangalore highway and at Manjari on the Pune-Solapur highway.

MNS workers pelted stones at the Khed-Shivapur toll plaza injuring six police personnel, two of them were women. The MNS also pelted stones at four Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses and some private vehicles. Earlier in the day, they ransacked the Manjari toll plaza. The bus passengers were so frightened that they were not ready to leave the premises of the police chowki. The police are yet to arrest the suspects involved in the attack on the office of a private company in Pune. Thackeray personally has no power, and when you say police will arrest him only if they have enough strength/courage, that strength/courage is not to arrest Thackeray, but to handle the repercussions of that. Moreover, what else they can do?

Eight charred to death, 14 injured in Maharashtra bus fire

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Afternoon Voice

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January 29, 2014

In a tragic incident, eight passengers were charred to death and 14 others were injured after a luxury bus collided with a diesel tanker late Tuesday night.

The luxury bus met with the accident in Kude village, on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway at around 1:45 am. The bus was en route to Ahmedabad from Pune.

“The bodies could not be identified as they are charred beyond recognition. The bodies have been sent for postmortem. The district administration is in the process of contacting the bus operator to get the names of the passengers travelling in the bus,” said Thane District Collector P Velrasu.

The injured were admitted to Manor Rural Hospital, who are now out of danger.

On May 29, 2013 a similar accident involving a luxury bus and tanker close to this spot had left 14 people dead and 40 injured.

SP to go it alone in Maha for LS polls: Azmi

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Afternoon Voice

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January 29, 2014

Samajwadi Party will go solo in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections and contest from at least 14 of the 48 seats in the state, senior party leader Abu Asim Azmi said.

“The SP would contest only those seats where it has chances of winning the election, but it is sure that we will go alone,” the party’s state unit president said.

The SP is likely to contest from at least 14 seats and the party is examining if it should contest one of the four seats in Thane district, he said here last evening when he came to meet Thane Municipal Commissioner Aseem Gupta.

Azmi supported the agitation at toll plazas against the levy in the state, but said the protest should not be violent.

Let the MNS legislators protest in the Assembly. Damaging toll booths in this manner is not proper and the SP will never support such an agitation, he said.

Azmi discussed the issue of dilapidated school buildings in Thane with the municipal commissioner and urged him to carry out repair work or construct new buildings.

Have no direct involvement in QNet operations: Ferreira

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Afternoon Voice

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January 29, 2014

Former world billiards champion Michael Ferreira on Wednesday claimed he has no direct involvement in the operations of the multi-level marketing firm QNet, which is under the scanner in connection with the alleged Rs 425 crore scam.

Ferreira (75) turned up before the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for the third day today. He was grilled for nearly two hours and his statement was recorded, following last week’s directive by a sessions court to present himself for questioning.

In a statement, Ferreira claimed he told investigators today that he invested in Vihaan Direct Marketing Selling Ltd, the Indian franchisee of QNET, but clarified he had no direct control over the business operations.

Ferreira is alleged to be an 80 per cent share holder in Vihaan firm.

“My role was limited to that of a share holder. I have not received any dividend from the company so far,” he told police.

Later, Ferreira reiterated his commitment to co-operate with the law and visit EOW whenever the police want him to do so.

“I have very high respect for the Mumbai police and full faith in the country’s judicial system,” he said.

“I have an unblemished record and I will not do anything that will tarnish my image,” the Padmashree awardee said after returning home.

According to police, Ferreira earned crores through his association with the company for years and participated in and promoted the firm’s schemes extensively.

The ace cueist will be called for questioning again in the next few days, police said.

Mumbai Police had on January 2 issued a lookout notice against Ferreira after he failed to appear before it despite summons in the second week of December asking him to turn up and explain his association with the company.

QNet is accused of duping investors by offering to sell magnetic discs, herbal products and holiday schemes allegedly through fraudulent practices, police said.

It has also been accused of using the banned binary pyramid business model for its multi-level marketing schemes to lure investors.

The EOW has arrested nine team leaders of QNet in connection with the alleged scam so far.

The accused have been charged with cheating and forgery under relevant sections of the Prize, Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act 1978, police said.

Mirge’s remarks on women and rape ‘insensitive’: Praful Patel

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Afternoon Voice

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January 29, 2014

NCP on Wednesday disassociated itself from the remarks on women and rape made by a member of Maharashtra Commission for Women belonging to the party, saying they are “insensitive”.

“The person concerned who has made such a statement is insensitive, has no business to do it and does not belong to the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) in any capacity for us to react and take notice of,” NCP leader and Union Minister Praful Patel said here.

“I am hearing her name (Asha Mirge) for the first time that I should react to somebody who claims to be from my party. If at all somebody has made such an insensitive statement, we will take action if the person belongs to our party,” he added.

Dr Asha Mirge, a gynaecologist from Akola, had said girls should be mindful of their body language and attire so as not to invite the attention of potential rapists and asked why the Delhi gang-rape victim went out for a late night movie show.